Hula Whoop—Premium Economy to Hawaii on American for Almost the Same Cost as Economy

July 2019
Read Offline

We’ve been focusing recently on ways to upgrade from economy for free or just a little more. It’s amazing what you can find when you PErsist, as we do.

Last month we looked at upgrading from Premium Economy to Business Class to Europe for LESS than the cost of the Premium Economy ticket. This month, it’s to sunnier climes with palm trees and sandy beaches. We’re looking at you, Hawaii.

PE on AA is OK DOMESTICALLY

Currently, the only U.S. airline with a true Premium Economy product on domestic routes is American Airlines, and even then they only offer PE on a few routes.

Let’s look at an example. Dallas-Honolulu non-stop on American takes almost 16 hours round-trip. American’s Premium Economy fare is $1,117 round-trip.

That’s only $240 more to fly PE than coach, or $120 each way. It works out to only about $15 per flight-hour to upgrade.

But: Add in the Add-ons

But consider this: After you figure in all the unbundled fees economy class travel can involve—checked bags and Main Cabin Extra Seat—economy can actually end up costing you more than Premium Economy (see the chart below).

Sample Upgrade Cost Comparison on American, Dallas-Honolulu Non-Stop Round-Trip

[table_opt id="6044" style="black-header" width="narrow" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

Keep in Mind

  • Premium Economy is somewhat similar to domestic First Class in terms of actual seat comfort.
  • Any connecting flights are booked in economy.
  • Don’t forget to weigh in the value of miles earned, especially if you’re an elite, which results in even more savings, and also more EQDs earned. Passengers booking PE will also receive 1.5 elite qualifying miles per mile flown.
  • Routes/cost: Dallas-Honolulu starts at $1,117 round-trip, Maui at $1,238, and Kona (non-stop summer months, ends in mid-August, and starts again in mid-December to end of March 2020) at $1,118.
  • For flights to/from Hawaii, Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro members receive complimentary upgrades if seats are available.

PE Perks

  • American’s PE seat offers 19-inch width, 38-inch pitch, 6-inch recline, 15.6-inch touch-screen monitor, and foot, leg and headrests.
  • You get priority privileges including speed-through check-in, security and boarding. Read more about AA’s PE here.
[["","Premium Economy","Economy (Main Cabin)"],["Published Fare","$1,117 ","$877"],["Flight Time","About 16 hours R\/T","#colspan#"],["Fare Difference","$240","#colspan#"],["One Checked Bag R\/T","$0","$60"],["Main Cabin Extra Seat (up to 6-inches more legroom)","$0","$262"],["Total Cost R\/T","$1,117 ","$1,199 "],["Fare Difference","$82 more for economy","#colspan#"]]